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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- M. H. BRONSDON.

INOLINED RAILWAY.

Patented Aug In: norms PETERS co, PHOTO-LITHO. wnumarom 0v 0,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. H BRONSDON. INGLINED RAILWAY.

No. 566,373. Patented Aug. 25, 189a Am J (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M.H. BRONSDON. INCLINED RAILWAY.

No. 566,373. Patented A11. 25, 1896 W'\\nc s 6 a s: T m) aniom I V )7?1775K Z .2 70) Q0 1, .,%%Q7%V%MMZTP w )6 Wag m: News PETERS cu pnoroumouWASHINGTON, nv c,

ATENT FFICE.

MILTON H. BRONSDON, OF PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND.

INCLINED RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,373, dated August25, 1896. Application filed Tune 29, 1896. erial No. 597,347. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON H. BRONSDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in InclinedRailways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in inclined railways, orrather to means for controlling the movements of street or tramway carsin ascending and descending gradients and forming part of a tramwaysystem.

In inclined railways communicating, say, at either end with and forminga continuous part or continuation of the more level portions of therailway it has been usual heretofore to provide such inclined ways withconduits having movable endless ropes or cables mounted therein combinedwith counterweights connected with the cables and means for detachablysecuring the latter to the car.

The object I have in view is to provide inclined railways with animproved system for increasing the efficiency and safety of suchrailways, the invention being more particularly applicable to roadswhere traction alone is not to be depended upon to move the cars up anddown the incline.

In my invention I employ the electric or trolley system of propulsion soarranged that the weight of a descending car gripped to a cable operatesto elevate a heavy counterweight rigidly secured to the cable, thelatter being mounted in a conduit parallel with the tracks or rails. Thepower of the electric current combined with said elevated counterweightoperates to elevate or haul the car up the incline, anautomatically-operating tripping device being employed to detach orungrip the car from the cable.

My invention further consists in providing the incline portion of therailway with an auxiliary conductor or trolley and an electric motormounted in the conduit capable of actuating said cable andcounterweight, combined with a suitable multipolar switch and connectingmeans mounted on the car, whereby the electric current maybe readilydiverted the poles of the switch. Another feature of my inventionresides in providing the cable with an automatic power braking devicefor controlling the speed of the car, both in ascending and descending,all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the four accompanying sheets of drawings, illustrating my invention,Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the position and relation of theparts when the car has arrived at or near the top of the grade and isstill attached to the cable, the conduit being in section. Fig. 2 ispracticallya plan view of the cable mechanism, the car being omitted.Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line m a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asimilar section taken on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side View, inenlarged scale, showing the cablewinding drums and automatic controllingmechanism or power-brake, the gearing and cable-actuating motor beingomitted. Fig. 6 is a plan view including the motor and gearing. Fig. 7is a partial side view of the governor or controlling mechanism, showinga position of the parts when the brake is in action. Fig. 8 is a sideelevation of a tram way or trolley car as provided with means by whichthe electric current may be shunted or diverted to an auxiliary motorarranged to actuate the winding-drums shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 9 isa side view showing a modified form of cable-pulleys adapted to belocated at the upper end of the inclined railway in lieu of thewinding-drums. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the same. Figrll is atransverse section, taken through the car-base, slot-rails, and cable,showing the gripper or carrier clamped to the cable as in use. Fig.

12 is a corresponding side view of the parts. Fig. 13 is a plan view,the same also showing tripping or releasing means fixed at the upper andlower ends of the inclined railway:

Fig. 14 shows the position of the switch when set to divert the electriccurrent to the car and cable motors simultaneously; and Fig. 15 showsthe switch when conducting the current to the car-motor, the cable-motorthen being cut out.

In the drawings, 00, Fig. 1, indicates the conduit, located below thesurface of the inclined railway, the conduit as drawn being arrangedbetween the track-rails a a. (See Figs. 3 and 4E.) The lower portion ofthe conduit is made larger than the upper part, so as to freely receivethe counterweight w, the latter mounted on truck-wheels adapted to runup and down on suitable tracks 20 The upper end of the conduit isenlarged to form a chamberA, containing the winding-drums h and theirdriving mechanism, soon to be described. The said winding drums orwheels I) are grooved to receive a few wraps of the cable 0. (See Figs.5 and 6.) The drums are secured to horizontal shafts I), mounted insuitable bearings. They are adapted to be rotated simultaneously ineither direction through the medium of the large spur-gears g, securedto said shafts, and the small driving or pinion gear g, intergearingtherewith.

Bindicates an electric or other suitable motor having the saidpinion-gear fixed to its axle. Thus it will be apparent that uponenergizing the motor the drums and cable will be brought into action.The said cable 0 is not an endless cable. Its lower or free end passesover a guide-wheel c and is attached to a comparatively small movabletensionweight 0 adapted to work in the vertical hole or chamber 0. Thecable extends from said wheel 0' upwardly along the conduit and aroundthe lower horizontal wheel or sheave c of the counterweight w, thenceback and around the two fixed guide-wheels c 0 the latter deflecting thecable upwardly over the counterweight and along the conduit, itsrelation to the slot a formed between the center or slot rails a, beingsuch that it is readily accessible from the street-surface. (See Fig.3.) The cable passes thence to and around the winding-drums Z), and fromthe latter to the fixed forward guide-wheel Z), Figs. 1 and 2, thencedownwardly therefrom along the conduit to the two fixed deflectorwheels19 and around the forward horizontal guide-wheel c of the weight w, andfinally from the latter upwardly in the conduit to a point 19 where itis made fast. The tensionweight 0 Fig. l, is employed for the purpose oftakin g up the slackness of the cable, thereby keeping the latter tautat all times.

To the central or main working portion of the cable is secured a carrierto, the same being clamped to the cable by bolts a (See Fig. 11.) Theweb portion of the carrier extends upwardly through the slot a and issurmounted by an elongated head having a longitudinal slot u therein,the entrance or guideway at each end of the slot being made divergent orflaring, as shown at 14 to allow the gripperarm 2' free entrance to theslot. The opposite sides of the said head part are provided with ears inwhich are pivoted the grip or hook levers M3, the hook portion a thereofpassing through lateral openings communicating with the ends of the slotand adapted to engage the corresponding ends of the gripper-arm 1'. Bymeans of this arrangement the parts are locked together, springs a beingemployed to keep the levers normally closed, as shown in Fig. 13. Thesaid gripper-arm i is mounted in bearings or supports '6, rigidlysecured to the under side of the car 0. Therefore when the gripper islocked to the carrier at it is clear that the car will travel in unisonwith the moving cable as long as the parts are thus locked together.

In order to automatically release the car from the cable, I provide atripping device at each end of the inclined railway. As drawn saiddevice consists simply of a short rail or bar y, located at one side ofand at an angle with the slot a of the center rail. It is also locatedin the path of the grip-lever, the arrangement being such that thecarrier in its forward movement causes the free end of the grip-lever toengage the bar y, thereby automatically withdrawing the correspondinghook portion it away from the gripper-arm and uncovering the forward endof the slot to, thus releasing the car from the cable. Upon the arrivalof another car from the opposite direction the gripper-arm thereofenters the slot to and engages the forward hook-lever, thereby giving aninitial movement to the carrier and cable, at which instant the rearhook-lever, being then forced from the bar 3 swings into position, thussecurely locking the car to the cable. The force or power employed thenoperates to propel the car ahead to the opposite end of the inclinedway, followed by automatically releasing the car from the carrier bymeans of the tripping device or bar y, located at that end of the way,the operation being substantially as before described.

In lieu of using the counterweight system alone for propelling the carup the inclined railway, the cable may be actuated byelectro1notive-force-that is to say, assuming the line to be equippedunder the trolley system and provided with the main conductor (1, &e.,as usual. In such case the cable may be driven by a pair of dru msb,worked by an electric motor B,suitably mounted in the chamber A,located at the upper end of the conduit :0, as before described. In suchevent the said main conductor may be paralleled along the inclined wayby a conductor d insulated from the main d. The motor or trolley car 0it self may be provided with the usual yielding trolley-pole t, rheostator controller 1", motors p, and suitable wires for conducting theelectric current from the main line d to the-motors. In addition theretothe car is provided with means whereby the motorman on the car canreadily switch or divert the current from the main conductor to the saidcable-driving motor'B. .The car,.as drawn, (see Fig. 8,) is

further provided with an auxiliary. trolley-' ;pole i arranged toreceivecurrent from the conductor d also a bipolar switch and conductor. tconnecting said switch and rheostat.

A conductor t unites the pole tand rheostat, similar conductor t uniting. the pole t? and ter- -minalk .A suitable conductor connects theoar-motors p with the other terminalik; or, in other words, theusualconductor leading from therheostat to the motors p is cut andprovidedwith :an interposed switch It, the latter being combined withthe auxiliary conductor d pole t, and connecting=wire 19, all as clearlyshown.

From the' foregoing it is obvious that the motorman can readily switchthe current from'the maind to'the insulated branch main d communicatin gdirectly with the? cable-motor B bysimply manipulating the 'rheostat andswitch. .As shownin Fig. 8, the current passes from the main d to branch(1 via pole t, wire t, rheostat 7', switch 70, wire 25 and pole 25 Ifdesired, the current may be utilizedsimultaneously in said motors 19 andB by simply swinging the switch 70 to the central or mid position, (seeFig. 14,) and by swinging the switchto the lowest position icallycontrolling the passage of the car down said inclined way, thedevicebeing more particularly adapted to be brought into action when thecars arewell laden.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the two winding or cable.

driving drums b are represented as grooved or turned at b to receive abrake strap or band f. One end of the band is attached to a fixed stud bthe other end, after passing the band round the two drums, being securedto a piston-rod 8 having a piston c,working in a suitable cylinder 6.(See Fig. 5.) Water or other medium under pressure is introduced intothe cylinder by means of a pipe h, its inlet being located between thefront head and piston. As drawn, D indicates portions of a well-knownform of fiy-ba1l governor capable of being driven by a belt m, leadingfrom one of the drum-shafts b. The vertical governor-rod n is jointed atits lower end to a lever it, connected with a suitable stopcock or valveh, located in the pipe h. A similar cook or valve h is located in thebranch or discharge pipe 71 leading from pipe h. To the stem of thelast-named valve is attached an operating-lever 12. the latter beingjointed to the lever '17, by a short link M.

I would state that the relation of the two valves to each other is suchthat when the governor is stationary or even revolving at a normal rateof speed, as shown in Fig. 5, the

inlet-valve h remains closed, the outlet-valve 71 then being open;butupon accelerating the speedof the governor beyond thenormal limit,due to an-increasing speed of the winding-drums b, the action of thegovernorelevates the rod 77., thereby opening the inletvalve h andatsubstantially the same time closing the outlet-valve h thus admittingwater under pressure against the piston c and causing the brake-straptomore snugly engage the drums h, the result "being to reduce orchecktheir rotation. .The governorrod meanwhile in falling closesinlet-valveh and opens valve I W, as before described.

In lieu of the winding-drums b the cable a may be passedaroundguide-pulleys b mounted at the upper end of the conduit, substantiallyas shownin-Figs. 9 and 10, the gripping device in such caseworkingpractically the same as hereinbefore described.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an inclined railway, the combination withasuitably-mounted cablezand' a counterweight attached thereto, ofwinding-drums for operating said cable, a stationarymotor adaptedtorotate the winding-drums,a car arranged tobe detachablyconnected' tothe cable, and means mounted on and actuated from the car forcontrolling the action ofsaid stationary motor,substantially asdescribed and for the purpose setforth.

.2. In an inclined railway, formin'gpart of a trolley system,thecombination with a weightcarrying cable mounted in a conduit and astationary electric motor for operating said cable, of anelectrically-propelled car, a gripping device for detachably connectingthe car to the cable automatically, and aswitch and intermediary meanscapable of being actuated from the car 'for energizing said. electricmotor at will, substantially as described and for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

3. In an electric-railway system provided with a main conductor orfeed-wire (1 charged with electricity from any suitable generator orsource of supply, the combination with a suitably-mounted cable, astationary electric motor for actuating said cable, and a branchfeed-wire d insulated from said main conductor and connected to saidmotor, of an electric car in normal engagement with said main conductorand propelled by electricity therefrom, a gripping device arranged todetachably connect the car to said cable automatically, and a multipolarswitch mounted on the car adapted to be manipulated so as to divert thecurrent from the main conductor to the branch conductor 61 and thecableactuating motor, for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a motor-drivencable 0 having a counterweight attached thereto, 01": a main conductorthrough which the electric current passes, a branch conductor insulatedfrom the main conductor capable of energizing said cable-actuatingmotor, a car provided with IIO an electric motor, and a controllercommunicating with said main conductor, terminals communicating withsaid motor and with the said branch conductor, and aswitch arranged tocontact with said terminals, whereby the current may be switched fromthe main conductor to the branch conductor to energize the cable-motor,or from the main conductor to the car-motor, substantially as described.

5. In an inclined railway, the combination with a cable a mounted in aconduit and arranged to be gripped to a car, and wheels or drums overwhich the cable passes, of means for propelling the cable, a brake bandor strap connected with said drums, a governor driven and controlled bythe drums, a suitablymounted piston connected with an end of thebrake-band, and valves actuated by the governor for admitting water orother medium under pressure against the piston and exhausting ittherefrom, substantially as described.

6. In an inclined railway, the combination with a suitably-mountedcounterweight-can rying cable provided with a gripping device whereby itcan be detachably secured to a car, of an automatically-operativebraking device controlled by said cable, said braking means comprising afriction-band, a watercylinder having a piston connected with said band,suitably-arranged watenpiping and valves communicating with thecylinder, and a governor connected with and controlling the action ofsaid valves, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purposeset forth.

7. In an inclined railway, the combination with a cable 0 provided witha counterbalanceweight arranged in a conduit, of the carrier memberclamped to said cable having a slotted head portion extending above thetracks surface arranged to receive the gripper-arm '6 of a car,self-locking arms or levers mounted at the ends of the said head forholding the gripper-arm in place, and suitably-located fixedtripping-bars adapted to coact with the locking-levers for releasing thegripper, substantially as described.

8. In an inclined-railway system, the combination of a cable 0 andcounterweight located in a conduit below the track-rails, the cablebeing mounted as follows-one end of the cable is fixed and passes downthe conduit and around the upper sheave mounted in said counterweight,thence back over defleeting-sheaves to the top of the incline, thenaround fixed sheaves or drums-located thereat and downwardly along thecenter of the conduit to the bottom of the incline, thence around guidesheaves and upwardly and around the lower counterweight-sheave, andfinally back to a tension-weight having free movement, substantially ashereinbefore set forth.

9. In a railway system provided witha cable mounted in a slottedconduit, the combination with the carrier clamped to the said cable, anda longitudinally-extending head integral with said carrier, of alaterally-movable gripper-arm secured to a car forming part of therailway system and interlocking with the head portion of said carrier,and fixed tripping members located at the ends of said conduit arrangedto coact with the carrier to release the car therefrom automatically,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof'l have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

MILTON H. BRONSDON.

Witnesses:

GEo. H. REMINGTON, REMINGTON SHERMAN.

